Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-15
and the profits which should have been real.

and the profits which should have been real.
amongst its members. It is believed that il
i the sales could be held at Hot Springs the re-
woad
and much higher prices would be realized" I'M
This experience has deferred the department
from authorizing any sales Of lots since the last
| auction. in May, 1884. And any further sales
would seem to be inadvtsable under existing
laws.
There are also about 10, 500 Indians scattered
over the public domain and not living on any
therefore no specific information of their in
dustrial pursuits is at hand
The statistics compiled from the annual re-
ports Of tho various United States Indian
agents to tho Commissioner Of Indian Affairs
| represents that Of the remaining 17a6 600 Indians
under their supervision, about 5000 wear citi-
zens' clothes wholly; that 16, AIT houses are oc-
cupied by them: that about $4,000 can speak
English with sufficient intelligence for ordinary
children are in schools receiving educational
and industrial training, for whom 237 schools
are engaged in industrial pursuits. They have
cultivated over 23S 900 acres, built 295 900
rods OF fencing, produced over 10000 bushels
and rye. $4,000 bushels of vegeta-
above they have gathered for use and sale con-
siderable quantities of wild rice berries, herbs,
furs fish and snake root. etc. They have sawed
| and 100000 tons of hay. They own over $4,000
horses 1000 mules, $4,000 cattle, $4,000 swine
Affected the Weld OF their crops the past year.
Whilst these results are generally gratifying,
they fail far short of guaranteeing an early
Indian civilization. And can only reiterate
the conviction expressed in former reports
that the Indian race has reached a crisis
in its history. Surrounded on all sides by the
forces of civilization; all the reservations
| closed in and pressed upon by ever-in-
do
petuous daring and aggre ssive settlers, miners,
ranchnen and traders: with possibility of
removal to other reservations or of escape into
mountain Businesses the only alternative pre-
sented to the Indian race is absolute extinction
or a quick entrance into the pale of American
civilization.
PRIVATE GRANTS.
Another subject which, would respectfully
suggest, demands. immediate Hesitation, is
derived from the Spanish or Mexican Gov
ernments. This legislation: in my opinion
should be directed to two points; Q) To pro-
viding for a trial and final determination of
such claims, subject only to appeal to the Su-
preme Court: (2) an act Of limitations barring
the presentation of new claims of this char
acter within stated period: o
By section of the act of July e. 1864 40
Surveyor General of New Mexico 20 ascertain
the origin, nature character and extent OF all
claims to lands under the laws ID nsas &c and
report of all such claims with his decision as to
the validity or the invalidity of the same, which
report snail De l11O before congress LOT
action. and until final action, of Con,
gress such claims all lands covered
thereby shall be reserved from sale OF othsr
visions of this law, from time to time since its
passage many claims have been made and
acted upon whilst number arc yet pending
before Congress Enacted upon. The extent
and number of the unconirmed claims can not
be accurately made. and those heretofore pre-
sented seem to grow enormously in area with
each passing year in the issuance OF patents
thereon. At the present time it is approx
land actually reserved from entry and settle
ment because Of such claims is little short OF
6.o0,,0o0 acres. Most of this land has been thus
reserved for many years, used enjoyed or trans
ferred and sold as freely by the pretended
claimants as though their title had been fully
In regard to the lands under Mexican or
Sranish title thus held in reservation, this de-
partment is powerlcss to act, as such reserva.
tiOnS are established by act of Congress-, and
must continue perpetually until that body acts.
The well-known fact that by means of such
retained of large bodies of land has very much
to do with their continued in
crease The claimant has but to
ONCE, where the examination is ex parte, often
perfunctory. superficial, and possibly errone
Gus, A favorable report being obtained, the
law steps in, upsets the Jurisdiction of the Land
Department from the claimed territory, segre-
gates it from the public domain, and the claim
less pretensc of title, is installed and protected
in the enjoyment Of all he claims as fully as
though possessed OF an absolute rlSnI anu tltle
Millions of acres of public lands are thus
held by claimants, and have been held for
many years, in some instances for more than
thirty years, and in most instances the lands
thus held are the best for many miles around.
The claimant being thus guarded and pro
tected in his enjoyment until Congress acts,
has motive to follow up further ac-
ton by Congress- after the report OF
the Surveyor General has been transmitted to
that body, for whilst the report sleeps in
the committeeman his possession and en-
ioyment of this vast estate remains undis
turbed. need not go further to show the in
ducements thus held out to the presentation
of false claims resting on foundations so
shadowy that under other circumstance no one
would be tempted to rely upon them And
hence to-day, thrty-three years after the pas
sage of the act, as is shown by the report Of the
General Land once, there is but little abate-
ment in either the number or extent OF the
claims being presented to the land officers.
LABOR BUREAU0
The Labor Bureau has during the year COM
pleted its investigation into convict labor. The
report in two parts is said to be full of details
on all the points involved, with a full record OF
the history of convict lab Vt in ancient and mod
ern times IN all countries. The third annual
report of the bureau, now rapidly nearing COM
pletion, covers an investigation into the strikes
and lockouts Of the States from January !, 1881,
to December 81, 1886.